How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- For small manufacturers that want real MRP without an ERP project: Katana (custom scoped pricing, 14-day trial) and MRPeasy (free trial, no credit card) cover BOMs, work orders and lot traceability at SMB scale.
- Already on QuickBooks? Fishbowl (https://fishbowlinventory.com/) and SOS Inventory (from $69.95/month) add manufacturing depth with tight QuickBooks sync instead of replacing your accounting.
- For product businesses selling across channels: Cin7 starts at $349/month with 700-plus integrations; Unleashed offers kanban production planning with a 14-day trial.
- The ERP tier: Odoo Standard is $31.10/user/month with a genuinely free one-app plan; NetSuite and Acumatica are custom-quoted and suit mid-size manufacturers outgrowing point tools.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Katana | Small manufacturers and product businesses selling on multiple channels | See website (custom scoped "Advantage" contract) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Fishbowl | QuickBooks or Xero users that need real manufacturing depth | See website (pricing based on warehouse count and user needs) | Free trial (per reviewers) |
 MRPeasy | Small manufacturers (10 to 200 employees) wanting true MRP on a budget | See website | Free trial (no credit card required) |
 Cin7 | Growing product businesses selling B2B, B2C and wholesale | $349/month (per vendor site) | No |
 NetSuite | Mid-size manufacturers outgrowing point solutions | See website (custom quote) | Free trial (3-day test drive) |
 Acumatica | Mid-market manufacturers wanting ERP without per-user pricing | See website (resource-based licensing, sold through partners) | No |
 Odoo | Manufacturers that want modular ERP starting nearly free | $31.10/user/month (Standard, all apps, billed annually) | Yes (One App Free, unlimited users) |
 inFlow | Small manufacturers and distributors that want simple assembly inventory | See website | Free trial offered |
 SOS Inventory | QuickBooks Online users needing a manufacturing add-on | $69.95/month (Companion) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Unleashed | Product businesses with 5 to 500 staff needing polished inventory control | See website | Free trial (14 days) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best manufacturing inventory management software
It is 4:40 on a Friday, and a customer calls asking whether you can ship 500 units by Wednesday. Your spreadsheet says the parts are in stock. The warehouse says otherwise. Somewhere between the sales order, the purchase order and the half-finished work order on the shop floor, the truth got lost. Manufacturing inventory software exists for exactly this moment: one system where raw materials, work in progress and finished goods stay in sync, so the answer to that Friday call takes ten seconds instead of ten phone calls. These ten tools cover the range from light assembly tracking to full ERP.
#1
Katana
Best for: Small manufacturers and product businesses selling on multiple channels
Visit katanamrp.com
Starting priceSee website (custom scoped "Advantage" contract)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Katana is built for the modern small manufacturer: one shared system for stock, orders and production, with a visual interface that shows materials, work orders and finished goods on one screen. Multi-level BOMs and automatic Shopify sync prevent oversells during seasonal peaks, and lot tracking keeps regulated product businesses audit-ready. Guided onboarding runs about six weeks with a solutions engineer; self-serve teams can start in a day.
The honest catch is the commercial model. Katana moved to scoped, custom contracts, so there is no starter price to compare against MRPeasy or SOS. It is the easiest tool on this list to adopt, and the hardest to price-shop.
What we like- Real-time inventory across locations with multi-level BOMs
- Lot and serial traceability built in
- Native Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, QuickBooks and Xero integrations
- Self-serve setup possible in a day
Watch out for- Custom pricing with no published starter tier, so small shops cannot self-quote
- Accounting, CRM and deeper ERP functions need separate apps
Starting priceSee website (pricing based on warehouse count and user needs)
Free planFree trial (per reviewers)
Fishbowl has been the QuickBooks manufacturing add-on for over two decades, and it shows in the accounting sync: every production and inventory movement posts cleanly to the ledger with landed costs allocated properly. Manufacturing features cover editable BOMs and work orders mid-build, finite-capacity scheduling, and traceability that produces recall reports in minutes. The AI layer flags looming shortages, late work orders and margin leaks before dates slip.
The honest catch is opacity. No prices are published, so every buyer goes through sales, and the per-user model means shop-floor logins add up. If your books live in QuickBooks and you manufacture anything nontrivial, it is still the first demo to book.
What we like- Deep two-way sync with QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online and Xero with landed-cost accounting
- BOMs, work orders, lot/serial/expiry traceability and one-click recall reports
- Barcode scanning through the Fishbowl GO mobile app
- AI replenishment and demand forecasting
Watch out for- No published pricing at all
- Implementation runs 2 to 6 weeks with in-house experts
- The full AI feature set needs higher tiers
#3
MRPeasy
Best for: Small manufacturers (10 to 200 employees) wanting true MRP on a budget
Visit mrpeasy.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (no credit card required)
MRPeasy is the value pick for real manufacturing planning. Where lighter tools track inventory, MRPeasy plans it: balance materials and capacity against demand, reschedule production orders, forecast procurement and quote accurate lead times. The vendor positions it for 10 to 200 employees, and the trial needs no credit card, so a plant manager can test it on live data before any purchase conversation.
The honest catch is polish. This is an engineer's tool, and the reporting will not impress a CFO used to NetSuite dashboards. For the price tier, though, nothing else on this list offers this much production planning.
What we like- Genuine MRP: production planning, scheduling, procurement, capacity and cost estimation
- Lot/batch tracking, serial numbers and barcodes
- Master Production Schedule for lead-time quoting
- Integrations with QuickBooks, Xero and Shopify
Watch out for- The interface is utilitarian, not pretty
- Per-user pricing means shop-floor logins multiply the bill
- Reporting depth lags the big ERPs
#4
Cin7
Best for: Growing product businesses selling B2B, B2C and wholesale
Visit cin7.com
Starting price$349/month (per vendor site)
Free planNo
Cin7's strength is connected commerce: orders from every channel draw down the same inventory numbers, and the vendor's own FAQ puts pricing from $349 per month. Production management covers simple assemblies through complex production, and the 700-plus integrations include 3PL warehouses, retailers with EDI, marketplaces and accounting. For a brand selling wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer at once, the single inventory truth is the whole pitch.
The honest catch is that manufacturing is a module here, not the core. If your BOMs are complex and your shop floor is the business, Katana or MRPeasy go deeper. If your complexity is channels, Cin7 wins.
What we like- Connected inventory across sales channels, warehouses and 3PLs in real time
- Production tools from material handling to packaged goods
- 700-plus native integrations including built-in EDI
- Accounting sync with Xero and QuickBooks
Watch out for- $349 per month entry price is steep for single-location shops
- Manufacturing depth is lighter than Fishbowl or MRPeasy
- Plans scale with integration count
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planFree trial (3-day test drive)
NetSuite is what manufacturers graduate to. When Fishbowl plus QuickBooks starts creaking, usually around multi-entity operations or serious demand planning, NetSuite puts financials, inventory, warehouse management, manufacturing and CRM on one database. The homepage currently offers a free 3-day test drive of NetSuite Next, which is more hands-on evaluation than most ERPs allow before a sales call.
The honest catch is the project. This is not software you buy; it is software you implement, with consultants, data migration and change management. Budget the implementation alongside the license, and do not start here if a point solution still fits.
What we like- Full cloud ERP: financials, inventory, WMS, manufacturing, CRM and demand planning on one suite
- Advanced costing and multi-subsidiary support
- The vendor to grow into rather than out of
Watch out for- Implementation is measured in months and needs consultants
- Pricing is opaque and total cost runs high
- Overkill for anything under roughly $5M in revenue
#6
Acumatica
Best for: Mid-market manufacturers wanting ERP without per-user pricing
Visit acumatica.com
Starting priceSee website (resource-based licensing, sold through partners)
Free planNo
Acumatica's pitch to manufacturers is the licensing model: unlimited users, with pricing based on the resources consumed rather than headcount, which suits manufacturers where half the company needs occasional system access. The Manufacturing Edition covers multi-modal discrete and process manufacturing with BOMs, routings, MRP, advanced planning and scheduling, and engineering change control.
The honest catch is the channel. You cannot self-serve a quote; a partner scopes the project and the price. That is normal for ERP, but it makes comparison shopping slow. Get two partner quotes before deciding.
What we like- Manufacturing Edition with BOMs, routings, production management, MRP, quality and estimates
- Unlimited users included
- True cloud platform with industry-specific editions
- Partner network for implementation
Watch out for- Sold exclusively through partners, so every quote is a conversation
- Implementation needs a partner-led project
- The ecosystem is smaller than NetSuite's
#7
Odoo
Best for: Manufacturers that want modular ERP starting nearly free
Visit odoo.com
Starting price$31.10/user/month (Standard, all apps, billed annually)
Free planYes (One App Free, unlimited users)
Odoo is the price disruptor in ERP. The Standard plan puts every app, including MRP, inventory, purchase, PLM and maintenance, at $31.10 per user per month on Odoo's own pricing page, and the One App Free plan runs a single app for unlimited users at $0. The manufacturing apps handle work orders, BOMs, routings, work centers and shop-floor tablets without add-on fees.
The honest catch is implementation. The software is cheap; the project to configure it for a real plant is not, and complex manufacturers usually need a partner. Start with the free app, prove the fit on one workflow, then expand.
What we like- MRP, inventory, PLM, maintenance and quality apps at $31.10 per user per month
- The Community edition is open source
- One App Free covers a single app for unlimited users forever
Watch out for- MRP depth is good but not NetSuite-grade
- Non-trivial setups need an implementation partner
- Light Users are billed at $8.90 each
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial offered
inFlow is the friendly option. Teams from solo operators to about 50 staff get clean multi-location inventory, purchase and sales orders, barcode workflows and a Manufacturing edition that handles product assembly without ERP complexity. The B2B portal lets wholesale customers order online, and the support team is in-house rather than outsourced.
The honest catch is the ceiling. If you need capacity planning, routings or serious production scheduling, inFlow runs out before Katana or MRPeasy do. It is inventory software with assembly, not manufacturing software with inventory.
What we like- Easy multi-location stock tracking with barcode scanning
- A Manufacturing edition that assembles products or kits from components
- 50-plus shipping carrier integrations
- Built-in B2B showroom portal
- In-house support teams
Watch out for- Production planning is light compared with Katana or MRPeasy
- No deep MRP or capacity scheduling
- Per-user pricing adds up for larger warehouse teams
Starting price$69.95/month (Companion)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
SOS Inventory is the QuickBooks Online companion for manufacturers. It adds what QBO lacks: sales orders, assemblies with unlimited levels, serial and lot tracking, landed costs, pick/pack/ship and manufacturing work orders, all syncing back to the books in real time. Pricing is published and refreshingly specific: $69.95 per month for Companion, $139.95 for the middle tier, and $194.95 for advanced manufacturing with job costing.
The honest catch is the dependency. Without QuickBooks Online this product has no reason to exist, and the per-user fees mean a ten-person warehouse team pays meaningfully more than the sticker price. If you are on QBO and you manufacture, it is the most transparent quote on this list.
What we like- Tight QuickBooks Online sync with landed costs, assemblies, lot/serial tracking and multi-location support
- Published pricing with a real manufacturing tier at $194.95/month
- Barcode scanning and mobile support
Watch out for- Only makes sense with QuickBooks Online
- Advanced automation and job costing sit on the top tier
- Each additional user is $25/month
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Unleashed sits between inFlow and the ERPs: more polished and production-capable than basic inventory tools, without the implementation project of NetSuite. The kanban planner visualizes production, digital BOMs keep margins accurate automatically, and unlimited warehouses suit distributors with real networks. The vendor's homepage confirms a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
The honest catch is pricing opacity. Unleashed publishes no prices, selling Core and Pro packages through sales. It is also explicit that it is not a full ERP, so budget for the accounting app alongside it.
What we like- Kanban production planner with digital BOMs that cost products automatically
- Batch and serial traceability
- Unlimited warehouses and multi-currency
- Strong Xero and QuickBooks integrations
- 14-day trial with no credit card
Watch out for- No published pricing on the site
- Not a full ERP, so accounting lives in Xero or QuickBooks
- Manufacturing is assembly-focused rather than heavy MRP
How we chose
We started with the searches buyers run: manufacturing inventory management software, MRP software for small manufacturers, and inventory software with BOMs. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own homepage and pricing page, checked manufacturing features against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared BOM depth, production planning, lot and serial traceability, accounting integrations and company-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
The five specs that matter in manufacturing inventory software
First, BOM depth: single-level BOMs handle kitting, but real manufacturing needs multi-level BOMs with routings and revision control. Second, production planning: MRP that balances materials and capacity against demand is a different product from a work-order list. Third, traceability: lot and batch tracking at minimum, serial numbers where recalls or warranties apply, with forward and backward trace. Fourth, costing: landed costs, actual versus standard costing, and WIP accounting decide whether your margins are real. Fifth, the accounting sync: the inventory system must post cleanly to the ledger, because month-end reconciliation is where weak integrations die.
The real cost beyond the subscription
The subscription is the smallest line item in year one. Implementation ranges from a day of self-serve setup (Katana, Odoo's free app) to a multi-month partner project (NetSuite, Acumatica). Data migration, barcode hardware, label printers and shop-floor tablets add up. Per-user pricing means the quote for five users can double at fifteen, which is why Acumatica's unlimited-user model and Odoo's Light User tier deserve a line in your spreadsheet. And training is real: the best MRP in the world fails when the shop floor keeps a shadow spreadsheet. Budget implementation, hardware and training alongside the license, and ask every vendor for a total first-year number in writing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MRP and inventory management software?
Inventory management tracks what you have and where it is. MRP plans what you need: it explodes BOMs against demand, checks material availability and capacity, and tells you what to buy and what to build. MRPeasy, Katana and the ERPs do MRP; inFlow and SOS lean toward inventory with assembly.
Do I need an ERP or is inventory software enough?
If you buy raw materials, build finished goods and need production scheduling, you need manufacturing depth, which Katana, Fishbowl or MRPeasy provide without full ERP. You need an ERP when finance, multi-entity operations or demand planning outgrow the add-on model, which is NetSuite and Acumatica territory.
Which tool is best for a small manufacturer on QuickBooks?
Fishbowl for deep manufacturing with QuickBooks Desktop or Online, SOS Inventory for QuickBooks Online users who want published pricing and a lighter footprint. Both keep the books in QuickBooks and add the manufacturing layer around it.
How much does manufacturing inventory software cost?
From free (Odoo's one-app plan) to $69.95 per month (SOS Companion), $349 per month (Cin7) and custom quotes for Fishbowl, NetSuite and Acumatica. Implementation is the variable: days for the SMB tools, months for ERP.
Can this software handle lot tracking and recalls?
Katana, Fishbowl, SOS Inventory and Unleashed all track lots and serial numbers with forward and backward traceability. Fishbowl specifically advertises one-click recall reports. If you are in food, supplements or medical devices, verify the recall workflow in a demo before buying.
How long does implementation take?
Self-serve tools like Katana can be running in a day, with guided onboarding around six weeks. Fishbowl quotes two to six weeks with in-house experts. NetSuite and Acumatica are partner-led projects measured in months. The biggest variable is always your data: clean item masters and BOMs cut every timeline in half.
Sources we checked (13)
- https://katanamrp.com
- https://fishbowlinventory.com/
- https://www.mrpeasy.com/
- https://www.cin7.com/
- https://netsuite.com/
- https://acumatica.com/
- https://odoo.com/
- https://www.odoo.com/pricing
- https://inflowinventory.com/
- https://sosinventory.com
- https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/inventory-management
- https://www.capterra.com/inventory-management-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.